SPRINGDALE, AR - MARCH 31: Brett Squires #7 of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals poses for a photo during the Northwest Arkansas Naturals photo day at Arvest Ballpark on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 in Springdale, Arkansas. (Photo by Lacey Whitmer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Royals left-handed pitching prospect David Shields (the club’s No. 4 prospect per MLB.com) was named the Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year. Meanwhile, Josh Hammond (No. 2) won the Alex Gordon Heart and Hustle Award.
Brett Squires was named the George Brett Hitter of the Year. The club also recognized Squires as the Mike Sweeney Community Impact Award recipient. He is the first player to win multiple organization awards in the same season.
Other award winners include the LP Langevin (Dan Quisenberry Reliever of the Year), Carson Roccaforte (Frank White Defensive Player of the Year) and Asbel Gonzalez (Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year).
The city’s Special Committee for Legal Review on Monday advanced an ordinance that would place the question on the April 6 ballot during the 2027 spring municipal election. The proposal now goes to the full City Council for consideration.
The council’s pending approval appears to be a formality. City staff previously told The Star that if the petitioners filed a request to send their proposed ordinance to voters, the city’s charter would require the council to place the initiative on the ballot at the earliest eligible election, which would be April 6.
“Curt Nelson and I had wondered for years: How many games has Denny done? Denny has saved all of his scorecards, and years ago he turned them over to Curt. Curt asked for them, and so they’ve been in the Royals’ possession for years,” Lefebvre said on the broadcast. “And he and I have been saying one of these days we’ve got to find out how many games he’s done. Call it divine inspiration, instinct, whatever. But Curt and I finally said, ‘We’re either going to do this or we’re not going to do this.’ …
“But he and I got a group of about 10 to 15 Royals employees, and the Royals paid for lunch. And here come all the boxes of scorecards going back to 1969, and we actually counted all of them in about an hour. It didn’t take that long, and I’m glad we did. Sam Mellinger was in charge of tallying up the numbers, so someone would say, ‘OK, in 1972, we did 161 games,’ and we’re adding them up, and we’re tallying them up, tallying them up, and all of a sudden it hit us: ‘Oh my gosh, he’s going to do his 8,000th game this year.’”
I’m also struggling some with this particular edition because this is the first time since maybe 2022 where these games are just totally irrelevant. They were at least on the periphery of the race last year. They obviously made it to the dance two years ago. Even in 2023, we had Bobby Witt Jr.‘s ascent to stardom along with Cole Ragans, James McArthur (yes, his September was worthy of mention) and a bunch of other young guys trying like hell to make an impression. This year’s team is mostly guys we know are part of the future and have nothing to prove and guys we know aren’t part of the future and have nothing to prove.
Davy Andrews at FanGraphs went deep into the idea of an off-peak season for Bobby Witt Jr and his case for MVP.
This is Witt’s fifth major league season, and you could argue that it’s his fourth consecutive MVP-caliber campaign. Mind you, that argument would focus only on 2022, in which he put up 5.9 WAR, good for 10th in the majors. There’s no argument to be had about the 2024 and 2025 seasons. That said, along with Shohei Ohtani’s combined 9.2-WAR 2022 sesaon, they are the two most valuable seasons this decade for which a position player did not win an MVP. In 2024, Witt ran a 169 wRC+, stole 31 bases, and put up a Fielding Run Value of 11, fourth among all shortstops. That was good for 10.5 WAR, and it took the best season of Aaron Judge’s career – 58 home runs, a 19% walk rate, and a .322 batting average – to beat him. In 2025, Witt put up 8.0 WAR with a 130 wRC+, 38 steals, and 20 FRV, the best mark among all shortstops. Again, he was bested by a 10-win season from Judge and Cal Raleigh’s 60-homer campaign. Witt has never received a first place MVP vote.
Baseball America picked Kendry Chourio as the Royals minor league player of the year.
With the road slate of games completed this season, Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep took a look at the struggles the Royals faced away from home.
Brian Burrows at Kings of Kauffman analyzes the bullpen through the lens of FanGraphs’ “Meltdowns” stat.
Speaking of the Tigers, corporate goons are renaming their stadium after two fractions, or rankings, or a bank, or whatever, I don’t care. It’s dumb. At least have the temerity to name it “First” or something.
The New York Giants ran up their healthcare bill in last night’s Monday Night Football game, which saw a slew of injuries for Big Blue. I saw “nightmare game” from…a lot of people on the internet.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac bought a pub next to Wrexham’s stadium so they can apparently make a Welsh version of all those American entertainment districts that our billionaires want so badly.
Paramount reached a settlement in the antitrust lawsuit, which apparently clears the way for them to complete their giant acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot need to drum up some chaos to put a stop to this corporate ghoulish behavior.
It’s a bit outdated, but your song of the day is Yakko with the world country sing-along.
Duke Ellis of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders runs the bases during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
That’s all, folks. We’ve reached the end of the road for the 2026 minor league season. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders officially concluded things on Saturday, which also served as a retirement for the RailRiders (shoutout Clint Frazier). Tampa was unfortunately not able to bring some gold back home, losing in Game 3 of the FSL Championship Series.
If you still have an MiLB itch to scratch, the Arizona Fall League begins in two weeks as six Yankees prospects take on the desert, headlined by top prospect Dax Kilby. I’ll be there to chronicle all that, but for now, here’s the end of the minor league slate:
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Record: 41-31 (78-68), 2.5 GB in the International League East after a 3-2 week against the Rochester Red Wings (Nationals)
Run differential: +55 (+58)
The RailRiders are no more. The final games that the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate will ever play as the RailRiders came and went this last week, as they were unable to make up a self-inflicted deficit in the division to prolong their season. Sunday’s game was cancelled, so an extra-innings thriller on Saturday night was how the season concluded. They won on a walk-off wild pitch in the 10th, and get this: the winning pitcher was emergency catcher Edinson Duran, who was used once Justin Topa reached a pitch count. What an awesome way for the name to go out on.
It was a strong final week for guys like Jasson Domínguez (7-for-19, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 4 BB) and J.C. Escarra (7-for-21, HR, 2 RBI, 2B), two guys who undoubtedly thought they’d spend more of this season with the big league club. Marco Luciano also capped off a really strong season that should earn him a 40-man spot and audition for 2027 next spring. A cool storyline from this week was 2025 10th-rounder Connor McGinnis getting another aggressive promotion to finish the season, to finish a strong debut season that’s been mostly spent in Double-A. He went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and two walks in his cup of coffee in Scranton.
It was not a good final week of the season for a rotation. The recent progress made by Alexander Cornielle fizzled out with a mediocre final start, while the quartet of prospects didn’t end on a high note. Kyle Carr never got fully built up, but he was once again not able to finish three innings in his start. Both Brendan Beck and Elmer Rodríguez failed to finish the fifth to end their strong seasons at the level, while Xavier Rivas took a step back in a brief, three-inning start to end what was overall a big season for him.
The best part about the bullpen this week was a starter as a piggyback, as Adam Kloffenstein tossed six shutout innings in relief of Carr. Zach Messinger, Eric Reyzelman, and Bradley Hanner all pitched well in their two outings each this week.
A full-season review of the 2026 RailRiders will come next week, but I’ll end this with a tribute to Oswaldo Cabrera, who was DFA’d and claimed by the Reds. I’m happy he’ll be getting a fresh start in an organization that has less of a strict edict on winning. Players like him populate the benches of rosters around baseball, but organizations like the Yankees demand excellence from all 26 spots. Will be rooting for him.
Well, that stinks. Tampa’s incredible offense carried them all season long, but they face-planted at the wrong moment. In three games against Jupiter in the FSL Championship Series, they scored five total runs. Last time we talked, they had lost Game 1 last Sunday, but they had a chance to win the series early this week.
They won Game 2, 4-1. Wilberson De Pena and Diego Castellanos ripped RBI singles, while they scored the other two runs on an RBI walk and a wild pitch. Big day for Luis Puello, who went 3-for-5 with a double. Wyatt Parliament tossed five solid innings to conclude his debut season, while the bullpen behind him was sharp. Usual starter Tyler Boudreau tossed 1.2 innings, followed by Matthew Tippie, Pedro Rodriguez, and Greysen Carter for the save.
Game 3 was a pure pitcher’s duel. Neither team could score for eight innings. Tampa’s offense was completely flummoxed, striking out 16 times. The pitching was outstanding. JT Etheridge, who you’ll see in the Arizona Fall League, tossed six shutout innings to conclude a fantastic September. Jose Ledesma and Rafael Arias did their jobs to get it to the ninth, but Arias gave up a walk-off double to end the season in the bottom of the ninth. Heartbreaking for an incredible group.
Ellis is not a prospect anymore, but I’m giving him flowers in the season’s final week for reaching 60 stolen bases with a great final stretch. He steadily improved over the course of the season and has been a solid presence at the bottom of Scranton’s order. I would think the soon-to-be-29-year-old will sign with another organization next year, as even with his extremely niche skill set of being a designated pinch runner, the team just won’t have a roster spot for this Terrance Gore-type.
Oh, it was soooo close to becoming a day of celebration Sunday. But it became a day where the Cubs had to wait until Tuesday to see whether Chicago wins or Arizona loses to clinch a playoff spot, and to hear the official results on the condition of Alex Bregman. There wouldn’t have been much of the former with the latter hanging over the team’s head.
But let’s go to the on-field review of the Cubs’ weekend. Two wins gave the team the series win after a bad loss Friday night. The two games had hitting galore, extremely good starting pitching and impressive bullpen results.
On offense, three hitters led the way with very good performances over the two days. Michael Busch went 3-for-7 with a walk, two runs scored and a solo home run, his 20th. Seiya Suzuki went 3-for-8 with a walk, two runs scored and also a solo home run, Suzuki’s 25th. And Nico Hoerner also went 3-for-8, but surprisingly, no home runs. Hoerner had a run scored, a double and two RBI.
In Saturday’s game, in addition to the contributions from the above players, Dansby Swanson showed that his was ready to be back with the team, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and another solo home run, but it was only his 19th. And Matt Shaw had an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
On Sunday, after going 0-for-5 Saturday, PCA bounced back by going 3-for-5 (ho-hum, a hit short of a cycle), with his 30th double, his 45th home run and his 38th stolen base as well as three runs scored (118) and two RBI (107).
Bregman, who went 0-for-4 with a walk Saturday, went 1-for-1 with a run scored and an RBI before leaving the game. Ian Happ, who walked while pinch-hitting and scored a run Saturday, went 2-for-5 Sunday with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Michael Conforto and Pedro Ramirez only played on Sunday. Ramirez went 3-for-5 with a RS and two RBI, while Conforto hit a solo HR, his 15th.
On the mound, Matthew Boyd looked like he was cruising for his first win in his last seven starts. He allowed only a walk over the first four innings. In the fifth, Boyd gave up two hits and a walk to turn his 2-0 lead to a 2-2 tie (one run was unearned). After Busch’s home run made it, 3-2, Boyd became the pitcher of record and improved his record to 9-5.
Daniel Palencia actually became the pitching star of Saturday, along with the rest of his bullpen mates. He took over for Boyd starting the sixth. Palencia pitched a perfect two innings with three strikeouts — by far his best outing since returning from the IL. Aaron Civale, Ryan Jeferzahn and Ryan Rolison combined to pitch a scoreless last two innings for the win.
Sunday, the starter, David Peterson, was marvelous, making his bid for the playoff rotation — he’s got the hot hand right now. With the Cubs up, 8-1, Peterson finished six innings on 83 pitches, 54 for strikes, allowed one run on three hits and a walk while having struck out seven to improve to 5-2 as a Cub. The run he allowed came on a CSPSHR*. After Peterson retired with the huge lead, Caleb Thielbar, Edward Cabrera, and Chris Rea each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the win and the series.
I appreciate your reading.
Complimentary Starting Pitcher Solo Home Run*
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Vanessa Serrao (Yardbarker): Pete Crow-Armstrong makes more Cubs history in win over Reds. “Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to be a massive threat on the basepaths, as he recorded his ninth game with a home run and a stolen base.”
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Justin Steele Won’t Be Able to Help 2026 Cubs, Except Through a Poignant Morale Boost. “The Cubs could really, really use the former version of erstwhile ace Justin Steele in October, even as a short reliever. Alas, that guy’s still unavailable. All the current version of Steele can offer is a nice moment this week at Wrigley Field.”
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Could David Peterson Be Chicago Cubs’ Playoff Ace? “Let’s be honest with one another: the Cubs’ starting rotation doesn’t have any sure things. If you want the hottest hand holding the baseball when the postseason begins, it might be the big left paw of David Peterson.”
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): The Various Hopes for the Alex Bregman Situation. “What a whipsaw the last few days have been for Alex Bregman. His continued second half dominance to his big racehorse win to taking a freak foul ball off the face and having to be rushed to the hospital.”
Jackson Stone (MLB.com): Who needs to step up if Cubs make a run in October? “With just six games remaining until playoff baseball, who will the Cubs need to step up in order to make a run at the World Series in a National League field filled with strong contenders?”
Thomas Domol (North Side Baseball): Cubs Week in Review: Reinforcements Put North Siders on Precipice of Postseason. “Injuries and slumps have forced fans of the 2026 Cubs to wonder what this team would look like at full strength. With Dansby Swanson returning and a few players returning to form, they got a glimpse of that—and then, alas, an eyeful.”
Friends and fans describe Granvil Poynter’s music as a blend of Texas blues with a 50’s rock and roll twist. Born and raised in a small town in Arkansas, Granvil fell in love with music at an early age. His reverence for the Blues musicians that came before him is evident in his music. His inspirations were early Blues Musicians Muddy Waters, Freddy King, Buddy Guy and later blues loving artists Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmy Vaughan.
However, it was his move to Texas that truly allowed him to flourish and establish himself as a standout voice in the blues genre. He has won best blues artist in the San Antonio music awards. Billy F. Gibbons has tapped him for shows with ZZ Top and for Mr. Gibbon’s solo tour. His captivating stage presence and heartfelt performances have earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim from both fellow musicians and dedicated blues enthusiasts.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 17: A general view of empty seats after a game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on September 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
The Colorado Rockies were off on Monday, so everyone is rested and ready as the final week of the 2026 MLB season begins to unfold.
Tonight, the Rockies will welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to Coors Field in what promises to be a wild week for the D-backs and Padres as each contends for the final Wild Card spot. The Padres will play four games against the Dodgers before welcoming the Snakes to Petco Park for the final series of the season.
And the Rockies will be able to act as a spoiler in this race, as well, as the White Sox quest for their playoff spot.
It’s a lot!
Now to the news of the day.
Rockies news & links
The Rockies Have an Ezequiel Tovar Problem on Their Hands | Just Baseball — Eric Treuden considers the Rockies options in dealing with Tovar’s contract. As he writes, “As this season enters its final days, Tovar has just 11 home runs with 42 RBI, a 52 wRC+, and -0.6 fWAR. He has MLB’s lowest wRC+ (next lowest is Jarren Duran, who is 14 points higher than Tovar) and his fWAR is only higher than Salvador Perez, who’s at -1.3. To put it simply, things aren’t looking pretty.”
10 Sleeper NL Hitting Prospects To Watch In 2027 | Baseball America ($) — Geoff Pontes has placed Rockies IF Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP) to his list. He writes, “Dalis’ underlying data is impressive. He posted a 14.4% in-zone whiff rate and above-average power metrics for a 20-year-old while also logging a 104.6 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, 44.2% hard-hit rate and 23% barrel rate. He’s still learning to pull the ball in the air, but his hard-hit launch angle of 12.1 degrees is very workable.” He added the Dalis will need to work on plate discipline, but improvement in this area would move him up a prospect ranking lists.
Michelle: A tribute | Dave Barry’s Substack — Yes, it’s that Dave Barry, and here he’s writing about his wife, Michelle Kaufman, who got fired in the media bloodletting last week. Just read it.
Remembering some guys
Giants pitcher Anthony Molina might be exactly what the team needed | The Athletic ($ — gift link) — This falls squarely into “Remembering Some Guys” territory, but it’s great to see Molina hitting his stride, as Grant Brisbee suggests. He argues for successful development (ignoring his time with the Rockies) that Molina saw with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Atlanta Braves in addition to a new arm angle. Whether Molina continues to be successful next season will be a story to watch.
This week on the internet
True story.
Kevin Henry and I were in the dugout when Rockies public relations staff filmed this video.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: Aron Estrada #79 of the Baltimore Orioles poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at Ed Smith Stadium on February 18, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles have a number of interesting and exciting prospects who are now in their system. However, if you’ve been following my contributions to Camden Chat’s minor league coverage through this season, or if you read the title of this article, you already know that there’s only one prospect who is my guy: 21-year-old switch-hitting infielder Aron Estrada, who spent most of this season with Double-A Chesapeake. My guy Aron Estrada had a pretty good year there.
A prime qualification for a prospect ending up as “my guy” is that he starts out as a not-super-heralded prospect who just keeps performing at every level he plays. Estrada, a $175,000 signing from the 2022 international amateur class, has inhabited this role very well. He’s under six feet tall and his listed weight (probably from when he signed as a 16-year-old) is 142 pounds, so there are a lot of comments about his being “undersized” in scouting reports. Those kinds of players always get the “He’ll have to prove himself at every level” label.
Estrada is proving himself with how he’s hit for at least three years. That’s the fun thing. Starting two years ago in Delmarva, on through Aberdeen last year, and now in Chesapeake this year, he has done well, particularly for a player who is as young as he has been at each of those levels. The Double-A assignment this year saw Estrada facing competition that was, on average, two and a half years older than he is, and he responded to that by hitting .281/.325/.482 over 128 games, with a handful at Triple-A Norfolk over the last week of that season.
New to the results for Estrada this season was home run power. He hit nine homers in 2024 and ten in 2025. Estrada finished this season with 25 home runs. Although this power increase did come with a slight bump in his strikeout rate, we’re still talking just a 17.9% strikeout rate for the season for the Venezuelan infielder. The major league Orioles, as a team, have struck out 24.8% of the time with several once-promising prospects well above this.
My guy though he may be, this home run surge does come with a bit of a caveat. Minor league home run totals were up all across the board this season. Baseball America’s JJ Cooper noted that a year ago, all minor leagues had 18 players hit at least 25 homers, the same number Estrada hit this season. This year, there were 75 players to reach that plateau.
It’s good that Estrada was one of the 57 “extra” guys, but it does remain to be seen how much was durable improvement on his part and how much he may have benefited from some kind of fluke year of offense-friendly baseballs that won’t carry over to next year or to the majors. One way this is illustrated in the statistics is that over the previous two seasons, he had wRC+ numbers of 129 and 135. (That’s weighted runs created, a park- and league-adjusted stat where 100 is average and higher is better.) That’s good! In 2026, despite superficially better batting, Estrada “only” had a 100 – that is, exactly a league average bat for the level.
That’s also good! Keep in mind that Estrada’s primary position has been second base. If the Orioles had a league average bat at second base, the Orioles would be doing a lot better and we’d feel better about them for the future as well. Instead, you know, Jackson Holliday’s whole deal.
There is a long way from success in Chesapeake to success in Baltimore, as O’s fans have become accustomed to with prospects not turning into medium-term quality major leaguers. It’s no guarantee that Estrada can continue to perform at least acceptably at the plate at Triple-A, where he’ll almost certainly start next season. Or at least, once next season starts for him. Estrada becomes Rule 5 Draft eligible this offseason, which means the Orioles must (or at least should) add him to the 40-man roster in November, just in case there is a Rule 5 on the far side of the lockout. As such, he’ll be locked out along with all other 40-man players on all teams and unable to participate even if Triple-A baseball begins as scheduled.
In a belated “preseason” prospect list published in mid-May, FanGraphs rated Estrada as just the #25 Orioles prospect, writing that “the swing itself is scary,” with particular concerns that his lefty-batting swing will be challenged when facing average-or-better velocity high in or above the strike zone. That ranking noted Estrada’s early struggle in Double-A this season.
It is the case that Estrada struggled in April, posting just a .624 OPS for the month, however, he went on to post OPS numbers of .850 or better for each of the next four months. That looks like a guy who made a successful adjustment to the level as the year went on, to me, and perhaps that list engaged in some recency bias by overindexing the April struggles.
The switch hitter batted much better from the left side than he did the right this season. Batting as a lefty and facing righties, Estrada OPSed .873, hitting 22 of his 25 homers. When batting right-handed and facing southpaws, he had a .662 OPS and just three homers. For me, if your weak side is lefties, that’s preferable, because there aren’t as many of those, and a .662 OPS is playable against lefties, unlike how Samuel Basallo and Colton Cowser have performed at the majors this season. Who knows how the fanatical platoon “advantage” weirdos running the Orioles will look at it if it comes to that.
That FanGraphs report thinks Estrada will end up in left field rather than second base. Most other rankings seem to believe Estrada will be fine staying at second base, which is why he was much higher than 25th on our composite prospect ranking before the year – Estrada was 13th on the Camden Chat combined list.
Up until this season, the Orioles moved Estrada around the diamond a lot, but in 2026 he only played at second or as a designated hitter. That seems to suggest that the team believes that he can stay at that position and they shouldn’t pretend he has “versatility” that maybe he doesn’t actually have. Defense in the minors is one of those largely opaque things for even engaged fans. There aren’t any kind of public metrics. You just have to go off the scouting reports and hope for the best.
Role for 2027
Estrada is going to have to prove himself at Triple-A before he can really be considered on track for an MLB job. It shouldn’t be hard to get him playing time at second base at Norfolk next year, though for those who want to see Holliday demoted, that would make things a bit more complicated for my guy Estrada. If he can play well at the highest minor league level in his age 22 season, he should be in line for a big league role by Opening Day 2028, if not sooner. I’m excited to see what he has to offer next season.
Monday was a well deserved off day for the Braves. However, there are still few games to be played and a few story lines to sort out as the postseason comes into focus. For one, it is still a really close race to determine who the Braves will actually play. The Braves also want to be fully confident that Robert Suarez will be ready to contribute, as he could be activated over the next few days to pitch this week in the majors.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 13: Edwin Diaz #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts as he leaves the game after allowing two runs to score for a 4-4 tie against the Milwaukee Brewers, during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Los Angeles Dodgers have managed to work their way out of their usual late summer lull, by going 14-5 so far in the month of September. But they face a test starting Tuesday to see if they really are in postseason form.
This month, the Dodgers have beat up on below .500 teams in the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. But they have one last team with a winning record to face before the playoffs – the San Diego Padres.
The Padres come in to this series winners of 13 of their last 14 games, needing two wins to secure a wildcard playoff spot. They have never made the playoffs three seasons in a row in the history of their franchise.
“I feel like the whole team is in a good spot right now,” San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Sunday. “We’re playing really good baseball. We’re checking in when we have to. The entire lineup is in a good spot right now. So when it’s going like that, it’s … a good time.”
For their part, the Dodgers have a magic number of three to secure the second bye in the playoffs, which is important in setting the rotation that the Dodgers want.
“I think it’s going to be a good kind of (playoff) primer,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the upcoming series. “They’re a very talented team. They’re playing as good as anyone in all of baseball. I’m looking forward to playing those guys and just kind of ramping it up a little bit more for our guys.”
Andy Pages is expected to be activated off the IL on Tuesday, hopefully fully healed and ready to add to the Dodgers offensive firepower.
Doug Padilla of the OC Register covers more of the details of what the Dodgers are thinking in their last six games of the season here.
One of the things still up in the air as far as the postseason roster goes is the status of Edwin Diaz, and if he can make a positive impact in the playoffs.
Diaz returned from the IL on Friday, a has two scoreless outings. But is that enough to get back on Dave Roberts’ trust tree?
“It’s been really disappointing,” Díaz said of his season. “But now I’ve found growth to come back and perform the way everyone was expecting.”
Diaz was on the IL earlier this season after having surgery on bone chips in his elbow and he came back ready to return to the leverage part of the bullpen. Except he wasn’t actually ready.
Katie Woo of The Athletic covers all of the ins and outs of Diaz’s return and playoff roster hopes here:
“Everybody was telling me I have a new elbow, so just keep going, keep climbing the ladder,” Díaz said. “You will be fine. We trust you. They always stayed positive with me, and you know, I was positive too. I know when I’m right, I can do really good things. I just trusted the process with them. They stuck with me. They supported me. So I was OK.”
But he wasn’t ok. In his nine outings after returning from the IL, Diaz’s ERA swelled to 11.85. He landed back on the IL with neck inflammation. So far in this return, he seems to be doing better. But with only six games left, he only has three to four games to prove he’s playoff ready.
After filling their final NBA roster spot with forward Graham Ike on a two-way contract, the Warriors have agreed to let their second-round draft selection develop overseas.
Lajae Jones, selected by Golden State with the No. 54 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of Florida State, officially has signed with Italian basketball team Pallacanestro Trieste of Lega Basket Serie A, the team announced on Monday.
The Warriors still retain Jones’ rights in any potential trades.
“His decision to proudly wear our Trieste uniform and pursue his basketball dreams and evolution as a player with us is evidence of his great belief in our team, staff, fans and the potential for a very special season in 2026-27,” Pallacanestro Trieste general manager Michael Arcieri wrote in a statement.
“Our collaboration throughout the season with (the) staff of the Golden State Warriors as regards (to) Lajae’s development is an incredibly exciting development and opportunity for our own staff and organization.”
Jones averaged a decent 12.7 points and 5.7 assists per game as a senior during his only season as a Seminole, but his measurables at 6-foot-7, 215 pounds clearly piqued the Warriors’ interest. In 16.3 minutes of summer league action, Jones scored 8.7 points per game on 48.8-percent shooting as a part of the Warriors’ title-winning roster
Jones is the latest Golden State second-rounder to begin his career in Italy, following Arizona guard Nico Mannion, who also played in Italy during the 2021-2022 season after the Warriors selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft.
Another Golden State connection, is fan favorite Juan Toscano-Anderson, who also plays for Pallacanestro Trieste and will be teammate with Jones.
As the pre-season continues, one name to watch is Kirill Kudryavtsev. The 22-year-old defenceman has become a draft-day steal for the Vancouver Canucks after they selected him 208th overall in 2022. Four years later, Kudryavtsev has already won a Calder Cup and is now fighting for a spot on the opening-night roster.
Thanks to some impressive play in the AHL, Kirill Kudryavtsev has already suited up for Vancouver five times. Last season, he played in three games and picked up his first two career NHL assists. Entering his third pro campaign, Kudryavtsev's goal remains to become a full-time NHLer.
"That goal was for the last two years," said Kudryavtsev. "The main goal is just to make the team. It doesn't matter what time. It can be the opening night, or it can be February. Honestly, if I just get myself a spot on the team, that's the ultimate goal that I'm trying to achieve there."
As mentioned, Kudryavtsev picked up his first and second career assists last year. He recorded his first against the Anaheim Ducks on April 12, and his second two days later against the Los Angeles Kings. As Kudryavtsev explained in an interview with The Hockey News, getting on the scoresheet at the NHL level was a moment he won't soon forget.
"It's very exciting. Obviously, there is still a goal up ahead that I have to score, but to get the first point, it's just very nice. It lifts off lots of pressure. Don't have to think about, like, I play so many games now. I haven't had a point yet. All of that, just don't think about that. Now I can just play hockey and then help the team to win hockey games. Then if I score, I score. It's just a good bonus that I will have. But obviously it lifts a lot of unnecessary pressure that I could have in my head for not getting any points or anything."
While there were some special moments, last season was one of the hardest in Kudryavtsev's young career. He suffered a significant injury which sidelined him for two months. When asked about his injury, Kudryavtsev opened up about some of the challenges he faced while sidelined.
"I've never had an injury like that before. So it was the first time I was actually away from the team. Actually, just doing the rehab. Actually, it was hurting. It was kind of affecting my day-to-day life. So it was a new experience. The one experience I do not really want to go through again. It was dark times. It's really lonely. When the boys go on the road, you have to stay alone. Maybe you get like one or two other extra guys who are recovering with you. But it's really dark times. It gets in your head. You just have to sit there. You watch your teammates battle, play, have fun there, and you just keep watching that. Don't really want to go through that again. It was a tough experience. But it made me stronger. Maybe I appreciate the time when I'm on the team. Even though you have some bad days and you don't want to show up to the rink, you can start to think about how hard it was for those two months being away from hockey, and you kind of start to appreciate coming to the rink every day healthy."
Since joining the AHL, Kudryavtsev has had only one head coach: Manny Malhotra. The two have developed a strong relationship and could be reunited this year in the NHL. When asked about Vancouver's new head coach, Kudryavtsev spoke not just about how Malhotra helps on the ice, but off it as well.
"A great coach, amazing human being. He's very smart. It's a shame, honestly. He's so smart you can't hide anything from him. But no, he's just a great guy. He's always there for you if you need anything hockey-wise, off-ice stuff. He's there. He always helps you. You have any question about anything, about your life, about how to handle it. I have a girlfriend, for example, or my cat is sick, for example, you can come over to him. Or have a question about the defensive zone, or what am I doing in the offensive zone. He's always there to help. He's always there to help you in the game too. He's that kind of coach that he loves his style of the game, but if you like see something that you wanna adapt to the system to, he always listens to you. He might not adjust; he might adjust; you never know. I've never tried it, but he is a great coach. He helped me a lot. He made me a way stronger hockey player. He taught me lots of small things on the ice that I needed to grow in, and I still have lots of work to do on those small things. But he is helping me a lot, and really appreciate that."
If Kudryavtsev is going to become a full-time NHLer, he needs to keep developing his overall game. He has some intriguing tools, which is one reason he has been called up in each of the last two seasons. For Kudryavtsev, he was able to identify some areas of his game that need work and improve on them during the off-season.
"I'd say try to improve my shot a little bit more. Just so I can be more threatening from the blue line. I believe I'm a smart enough guy to get myself in those positions where I can have a good look at the net. But sometimes, my shot is not as threatening, so the guys can take it a little bit lightly. I feel like if I have a pretty good shot, people will have to respect me more. That will open up more seams in the passing lanes for me. That's where I can take advantage of the other teams because I know that I can find those passing lanes. So I've been trying to work on my shot, and then my all-around game, just my skill stuff. Obviously, the off-ice workouts, conditioning, all of that."
Ultimately, Kudryavtsev has put himself in a good position to start the year in the NHL. He has had a strong training camp and led the Canucks in ice time during their first pre-season game. If Kudryavtsev keeps developing his game, it won't be long before he becomes a permanent fixture on Vancouver's blue line.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev (59) during a stop in play against the Los Angeles Kings in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 19: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout during sixth inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 19, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Boston Red Sox are going to face the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Series.
It’s still unclear whether or not they’ll face Aaron Judge…
Judge, who has been dealing with several different injuries this season, suffered a calf strain last week and was placed on the injured list (retroactive to Thursday) on Saturday. Judge is obviously going to be frustrated with situation, but perhaps even more so after he spent the majority of the regular season sidelined with a fractured rib and will likely finish the campaign slashing .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in 66 games — not exactly what we all expected.
“I’d like to be back by the postseason,” Judge told MLB Media’s Bryan Hoch. “That’s definitely the plan. [It’s the] 10-day IL, so the 10th day is probably the last game of the season. We’ll see. I’ve got really no answers for you on any timeline or anything like that.”
I, too, would like him to be back.
It’s pretty difficult arguing that you want to face the reigning AL MVP and one of the two best hitters of the 2020s, but let’s all be serious about the reality of the situation. If he makes his way back into the lineup for the postseason, you’ll be pitching to someone who has been sidelined for the majority of the last four months. It’s not like he’s been the same guy since returning earlier this month, either, as he went just 4-for-23 (.174) with one home run across six games since being activated on Sept. 8.
Judge at 50% is still better than most at 100%, but it is important to remember that he has found it somewhat difficult to stay productive in past postseasons.
2-for-8 in terms of productive stretches. 58-for-246 in terms of at-bats. 0-for-forever in terms of making enough of an impact to actually be considered a winning baseball player.
The Yankees absolutely would prefer to have him in the lineup, but it’s not an obvious choice right now. If they have to force him in they’ll either lose Luis Garcia Jr. or Ben Rice as the designated hitter or put someone with a bum calf in the outfield at Yankee Stadium. If they choose to let him fully heal and miss that first series, they can play both Rice (.889 OPS) and Garcia (.843 OPS) while having the space to play guys like Spencer Jones (1.177 OPS vs. LHP), and Paul Goldschmidt (.997 OPS vs. LHP).
You and a buddy are watching the Knicks game at home when the refs make an egregiously erroneous call. The two of you hurl obscenities and whatever’s handy at the TV. Meanwhile, on the sideline, coach Mike Brown flaps his arms as if trying to fly, but he’s unsure of whether to call a challenge. He cranes his neck toward someone in the second row behind his bench. Your buddy asks, “Who’s the dork with the iPad?”
Dork? No. That’s a hero.
In Game 2 of the Finals, the eagle eyes of assistant coach Jordan Brink led to a challenge that became three OG Anunoby free throws with 2:37 remaining in the Knicks’ 105-104 victory over San Antonio. One assistant coach watching an iPad helped alter an NBA Finals game. I didn’t spot Brink at the victory parade—frankly, I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup—but he deserved a prominent spot among the celebration.
Brink’s official title was a lot to fit on a business card: Assistant Coach / Director of Video Services and Player Development. Unfortunately, his contract expired after last season, and he accepted an assistant-coaching position on Tiago Splitter’s Chicago staff. Seems like a nice promotion.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, the Knicks have hired Ed Flynn to fill the job. He was formerly the head video coordinator for New Orleans. Like Brink, Flynn will serve as Brown’s primary “challenge guy,” monitoring replay and advising Brown in real time on whether to challenge officials’ calls.
Before his three seasons with the Pelicans organization, he did video work with Charlotte and a graduate-assistant stint at Miami.
Don’t sleep on these video guys. Many prominent NBA head coaches and assistants began their careers chewing up film in dark backrooms as video coordinators or video interns. Spoelstra, Vogel, Malone, Budenholzer, Clifford all spring to mind. And even Mike Brown started as an unpaid video intern with the Nuggets.
One day you’re eating stale pizza way past midnight to get a series of clips ready for the coach in the morning. A few years later, you’re getting showered with confetti in the Canyon of Heroes.
After the addition of Flynn, the Knicks’ primary assistants otherwise remain intact: Chris Jent, Rick Brunson, Brendan O’Connor, Maurice Cheeks, and Darren Erman are returning, as are development coaches Kwadzo Ahelegbe and Peter Patton.
Welcome Ed! You’ll never be just a dork with an iPad to us.
It may have been only a preseason tilt, but for Saint-Boniface and Trois-Rivières, it must have felt like much more. To see the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators play at the Colisée Vidéotron, the barn of the Habs’ ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivières Lions, must have felt surreal. The 4,500-seat arena was filled to the brim with hockey-crazed fans- or rather, Habs fans, I should say, as finding a Senators jersey was quite a challenge, but that was to be expected so deep in Canadiens’ territory. Holding the game in Saint-Boniface wouldn’t have made much sense with the arena so small, so they decided to play at Colisée Vidéotron, a 23-minute drive away. A bigger rink meant more fans could catch the action.
Still, the $250,000 Kraft Hockeyville prize money will go to the small arena; players’ dressing rooms and bathrooms will be improved, along with the boards, glass, and roof. According to Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc, who played there in his youth, that will be money well spent. Saint-Boniface is the 18th Kraft Hockeyville winner since the program began in 2006.
For a couple of Canadiens’ rookies, it was a big game for a different reason. After playing a great game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, David Reinbacher and Florian Xhekaj had earned the right to get another close look, this time with Martin St-Louis in the building, and neither of them disappointed.
On one of his first shifts, Reinbacher made a play that summed him up pretty well. With a Sens player skating at full speed toward him, the Austrian braced for impact and played the puck with poise, getting it to his forward safely for a zone exit. Safe and sound may not be the sexiest terms in hockey, but for a defensive defenseman, they are enviable traits.
After the game, Lane Hutson had nothing but praise for his partner on the night:
Yeah, he looked good; he’s easy to read off of; he killed a lot of plays; I thought he played great. It was fun to watch him.
As for the youngest Xhekaj, he didn’t get an assist on Jayden Struble’s goal, but it was his big hit deep in the zone that led to the defenseman getting the puck on his stick in space. Unsurprisingly, that wasn’t his only big hit either; he’s great on the forecheck and fears absolutely no one. Evaluating the forward, Martin St-Louis commented:
You know what he brings; he’s consistent in what you know he brings. He played a physical game again tonight; he skated, and he’s got a presence when he’s on the ice.
As for whether the sandpaper he brings might be something his team lacks, the coach agreed:
Of course, we always want to add sandpaper, and it’s not just one guy. Generally, I think we’re improving on that front; we’ll try to keep it up.
Asked if the youngster is able to walk the fine line between stepping up for his teammates and putting his team in trouble, the bench boss explained:
That’s part of playing a mature game, to not just be looking for that, but to be there, to be calculated. I think he does a good job of it, and Xhako (Arber Xhekaj) has improved a lot on that front. You’ve got to do the job, but without hurting the team.
As for the man himself, he had this to say about walking that line:
Obviously that’s something I’ve wanted to get better at, and I think I’ve been doing a really good job of that, so that’s good.
Old Habits Die Hard
It may only be the preseason, but in two games so far, the Canadiens have struggled in the middle frame. St-Louis today was talking about a lack of execution in the middle stanza, and he’s not wrong, but that’s something that plagued the Habs last season as well. Of course, consistency is one of the toughest things for a young team to achieve, but it has to come eventually.
In his post-game comments, Hutson also mentioned that he liked how the team played with the puck in the first and third frame. The players know about that issue, and sooner rather than later, they need to fix it.
Taking your foot off the pedal for the middle frame only makes it tougher to get the result ultimately. In the playoffs, unnecessarily depleting your energy can be costly. Last year, in the Eastern Conference final, the Habs looked flat and out of energy, and having to play two 7-game series beforehand certainly didn’t help.
The Curious Case Of Kirby Dach, Last Chance Edition?
Kirby Dach is skating on thin ice. This summer, he was submitted a qualifying offer, but it was for a two-way contract, a way for the team to get him under contract for less than the four million his qualifying offer provided for. Kent Hughes's decision to submit that kind of offer should have been a stern warning to the Albertan, but it doesn’t feel like it was.
He finished his evening with no points, one shot and a puzzling level of implication. Dach has the size and skills to be an impact player, but he plays like he's completely unaware of it. On the attack, when he gets closed up on the boards, he’s worryingly easy to dispossess, and he just doesn’t seem to have much fight. St-Louis has never been and will never be the kind of coach who will push one of his players under the proverbial bus, so it wasn’t a shock to hear him say that the Dach line gave him good hockey, that all three players were skating hard and that they had generally provided very good hockey.
However, at the start of training camp, St-Louis said he didn’t know what kind of role Dach would have on his team and that events would guide him. So far, looking at what has unfolded, it’s hard to see how the coach could believe a Dach who lacks engagement could be more useful to his team than, say, a Xhekaj (Florian) who plays with intensity for every second he spends on the ice.
The Canadiens now only have one game day left. On Saturday, they will take on the Senators again, but this time in a split-squad format, with one game in each city. It will be one last chance for players who still haven't secured a roster spot to convince the coach they belong.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 04: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs smiles during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on April 04, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s not that he’s the winningest coach in NBA history. It’s not how he created a culture in San Antonio that continues to grow as the next generation of enter the fold. It’s not who he is at his core. It’s all of that and then some.
From time to time, we have to remind ourselves just how remarkable a man Gregg Popovich is. How amazing a coach he was. And how dominating a career he maintained for the better part of three decades.
And these reminders aren’t simply for those of us fortunate enough to witness the greatness in real time. This is for the younger fans who are just now learning about the Spurs, understanding what made the team special before Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Carter Bryant were drafted.
Things like this:
Gregg Popovich has won more playoff games than the:
Over his illustrious career, Pop won 170 playoff games as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. More than the grand total for 20 NBA franchises. That is twenty teams (out of the twenty-nine that didn’t have Gregg Popovich as head coach) that as a franchise have not won more NBA playoff games than he did.
Only the Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, Hawks, Warriors, Bulls, Pistons, Knicks, and Thunder have won more. But that takes into account their franchise history. The Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, Hawks, Warriors, and Knicks starting competing in 1946. The Pistons have been in Detroit since 1957. The Bulls joined in 1966, and the SuperSonics in 1967.
If we limit the timeline to the same year that Gregg Popovich anointed himself head coach (the 1996-1997 season), then he has clearly bested each and every team the NBA threw at him.
• The Lakers (his closest rival) have won 169,
•The Celtics have won 160,
•The Hawks have won 57,
•The Warriors have won 118,
•The 76ers have won 79,
•The Bulls have won 70,
•The Pistons have won 89,
•The Knicks have won 80,
•The Thunder/SuperSonics combined have won 104 (90 as the Thunder and 14 the SuperSonics won from 1997 until the move to OKC).
From 1997 to 2025, no one won more playoff games than the Spurs. And considering the Spurs did not make the playoffs in 1997 or after 2019, El Jefe’s numbers pop (see what I did there) even more.
There are so many ways to point out Popovich’s greatness. This is just one. But it is important to note. The Spurs are at the dawn of a new era. In their first trip into the postseason since the pandemic, the Spurs made it to the Finals.
It’s time to lift your heads up and prepare to root for a great year. The foundation was laid years ago when a coach from Pamona-Pitzer caught the eye of Larry Brown. At the time no one knew, but that relationship changed the trajectory of the San Antonio Spurs and the NBA.
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The 2026 schedule hasn’t yet concluded, but the Cardinals’ playoff hopes are officially extinguished. From JJ’s debut and Burley’s monstrous blast that set the tone for the season on opening day, to a group of SFA baseball players taking their shirts off and swinging them over their heads. Jordan Walker reintroducing himself to the baseball world and taking down hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber in the home run derby, and Joshua Baez’s historic debut in Wrigley, the dropped fly ball that Dane Meyers missed in Cincinnati, and the ascension of the future at Catcher in Leo Bernal.
Although the season finishes with a flounder, rather than a fury, it’s hard to walk away from 2026 saying you weren’t entertained, you weren’t engaged, and you didn’t have fun. The Cardinals organization should feel emboldened in an upcoming offseason to push down on the accelerator and fill short-term gaps that have long-term solutions ascending through the system but still might be a year or two away. 3rd base would appear to be the only everyday spot that still remains unsettled for 2027. The top of the rotation could use a veteran leader with postseason experience, and the bullpen could use a versatile reliever with the ability to pitch high-leverage innings, in case incumbent Riley O’Brien’s consistency issues leak over into next season.
The entire roster, seemingly, was one big question mark after the franchise traded away organizational foundation pieces in Donovan, Arenado, Gray, and Contreras. Players like the aforementioned Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, JJ Wetherholt, Nathan Church, Joshua Baez, Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, and Leo Bernal positively answered questions we had about those positions; others like Nolan Gorman and Matthew Liberatore still provided answers, though in a negative light. Gorman isn’t the answer at 3rd base and has been provided ample opportunity to take the spot and run with it; he did not, so I feel it’s in the best interest of the organization to move on and let him try to succeed elsewhere. I still have confidence Matthew Liberatore can provide value out of a big-league bullpen; the strikeout stuff took a step forward, but the ability to navigate a big-league lineup several times effectively doesn’t appear to be something he can do without a big blowup somewhere. Perhaps a more targeted opportunity and return to a late-game reliever role will allow him to find more consistent success.
Since President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has taken over at the top of baseball decisions, I have been met with nothing but optimism and future confidence in what the Cardinals’ brain trust is creating, and it led me to a unique place in my brain that this season feels a lot like an announcement that the Cardinals are nearing a return to prominence similar to Paul Revere’s revolutionary ride through Massachusetts in April of 1775. Chaim Bloom, of course, coming to the Cardinals after his time spent in Boston previously, I felt was a very clever tie-in to this metaphor.
Therefore, borrowing from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem and the assistance of ChatGPT, I repurposed the famous poem and cadence to further some of our reckless optimism as we await a long, potentially dark winter, with CBA strife and uncertainty surrounding the financial structure of the sport; the one positive of that, though, is that the Cardinals have almost no long-term or high-dollar investments tied up to the roster. JJ’s extension is peanuts and doesn’t kick in, in earnest, until 2028. So, once the “ground rules” of roster building are agreed to, the Cardinals can pursue any opportunity without financial restriction, further inflaming my reckless optimism that contention is just ahead and I proclaim to Cardinals fans, “The winning is coming, the winning is coming!”
The Prospects’ Ride
Listen, my friends, to the tale of the Cards, Of players who labor on diamonds and yards; When twilight descends on the Memphis lights, And Springfield awakens beneath summer nights, A whisper runs through the Cardinal land: “The future is coming—it’s close at hand!”
For deep in the system, the young players rise, With bats in their hands and ambition in their eyes; From Palm Beach to Peoria, Springfield to town, A red wave is rolling, and none shall slow down.
Then out from the shadows a catcher appears, A slugger so young, yet he conquers his fears; Rainiel Rodriguez, with thunderous might, Sends baseballs soaring into the night. The scouts write his name, the faithful rejoice: “The future has found us! We’ve heard his voice!”
And down from the mound comes a left-handed flame, With Liam Doyle bringing heat to the game; His fastball comes roaring, his breaking ball bends, And every young hitter discovers new friends— Or rather, discovers, when stepping inside, That sometimes the safest course is to hide.
Then Báez takes lumber and steps to the plate, With power enough to make outfielders wait; Joshua swings with a thunderous sound, And baseballs go sailing far over the ground. The Cardinals watch as the youngster takes flight: “Perhaps this is one who will play here at night!”
From Curaçao’s breeze came a pitcher unique, With Jurrangelo Cijntje possessing the mystique; A switch-pitching story that once made him known, Now throwing his best from one side alone. With fastball and slider and dreams in his heart, He waits for his moment to make his big start.
Then Quinn Mathews rises, determined and strong, A left-hander working his way right along; While Tanner Franklin, with fire in his hand, Is learning to start and to command. The farm fields are crowded, the competition fierce, But every young Cardinal continues to persevere.
And somewhere beyond them, the newest names grow, From the Class of Twenty-Six, eager to show; Trevor Condon arrives with a bat and a dream, The newest young star in the Cardinal scheme. With Rocco behind him and more on the way, The future gets brighter with each passing day.
So listen, St. Louis, when night settles down, And Busch Stadium glows over all of the town: For somewhere tonight, when the old stars have played, A new generation is quietly made.
No trumpet announces the moment they come, No banner is raised, and no beating of drum; They simply keep working, each day and each night, Till suddenly one of them steps into sight.
And then, when the call from St. Louis is heard, The dream will arrive with a single small word: “Debut.”
And the Cardinal faithful will know That the prospects they watched have begun to show.
So remember the names as they travel the road— The hitters, the pitchers, the players bestowed; For the future is riding beneath Cardinal red, And Springfield and Memphis are forging ahead.
The bats will keep swinging, the pitchers will throw, And from all across Missouri, the young stars will grow.
Then someday the gates will swing open at night, And a youngster will run underneath Busch’s lights; The crowd will rise up, and the redbirds will fly—
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 08: Manager Pat Murphy #00 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on against the Chicago Cubs in the seventh inning at American Family Field on September 08, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We are close enough to the MLB playoffs that we can assume the postseason field in the National League is set—by the time you read this, it’s possible that the Diamondbacks could be eliminated from postseason contention and the six teams who will participate in the NL playoffs are finalized, with only the order of the three Wild Card teams remaining to be sorted out. So, a week out from the start of the postseason, let’s take a look at the five teams the Brewers could end up facing when they suit up for the National League Division Series on October 3rd.
I don’t do this necessarily to create a ranking of who I’d most like to face, but to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each team in order to judge what sort of threat they present. Of course anything can happen in the postseason, so this is likely all moot anyway, but it’s an interesting exercise.
I will go in alphabetical order, and I’ll include run differential plus ranks from FanGraphs for overall offense, overall defense, wRC+, and expected ERA.
The Braves won the NL East without too much trouble this year, as they’ve got a six-game advantage over the Phillies as of Monday afternoon and have been in first for essentially the entire season; the last time they weren’t in first in the NL East was on April 7th. The East was expected to be a competitive division, but the Mets’ tailspin and the Phillies’ awful start made it easy.
The Braves might have reason to be nervous, though. They jumped out to a nine-game lead in the division by mid-May and were rocking a winning percentage near .700, which held out until the second week of June. But since they were 42-20 on June 4th, they’ve gone 50-44 and they let the Phillies get to within three games at the beginning of September. Atlanta won two of three from the Phillies last week and then swept the Astros over the weekend, which clinched the division, but this isn’t a team that’s playing its best baseball at the moment.
While Atlanta hasn’t quite lived up offensively to the juggernaut it looked like they’d be for the foreseeable future after a team of young stars led them to the World Series in 2021, they’re still heavy on offensive talent. Matt Olson is the most reliable player in baseball, and no, he’s not at the level that nearly won him the MVP in 2023, but this season he’s got 40 homers and 33 doubles—not too shabby. Acuña, likewise, isn’t the same player he was before knee injuries sapped some of the explosiveness that won him the 2023 MVP, but he’s still a dangerous player who managed 20 homers in just 103 games so far this season (though his baserunning has gone from “weapon” to “liability”—he’s stealing bases this season at just a 71 percent clip).
The other big offensive piece is 2025 Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin, who for much of this season looked like Atlanta’s best offensive player. A midsummer swoon hurt his overall numbers a bit, but he’s hitting .313/.370/.478 over the last two months, essentially, not too shabby for a catcher. There are a lot of other familiar names in the lineup: Michael Harris II can certainly win you a game, Ozzie Albies has 22 homers, Austin Riley has 17 (even if his game has mostly fallen apart otherwise).
On the other side, the big story is Chris Sale, who should finish third in NL Cy Young voting after winning the award two seasons ago. Even at age 37, Sale is killing it—over the past three seasons, he is 39-17 with a 2.37 ERA and 2.31 FIP in 460 1/3 innings while striking out 11.3 batters per nine and walking only two. He’s a Hall of Famer, and he’s pitching as well as he has ever pitched. There are only a couple of pitchers in the league who can match up with Misiorowski, and Sale is one of them.
Injuries have been a big problem for the Braves’ pitching staff over the past couple of seasons, so there are bigger questions after Sale. Grant Holmes and Martín Pérez have ably filled their roles; neither is likely to throw a postseason shutout or anything, but they’ve both covered over 140 innings with ERAs below 3.50. (Both have FIP numbers significantly higher, though, so who knows.) Deadline pickup Tyler Mahle has also been huge: after posting a 5.13 ERA in 18 starts with the Giants before the trade, he has a 1.28 ERA (!) in eight starts since joining Atlanta. I’ve been waiting for Mahle to get blown up for weeks and it hasn’t happened, so who knows, we may keep waiting.
The bullpen is a strength, though their closer, Raisel Iglesias, has been mediocre over the past couple of months after an incredible start. Overall he has good numbers, but I suspect Braves fans will be nervous if he needs to protect a one-run lead late in a playoff game. Atlanta has also gotten big relief seasons from Didier Fuentes and Dylan Lee, and there is one big question mark here: Robert Suárez, the former San Diego closer who started the season with a 0.56 ERA in 32 innings, hasn’t pitched since mid-June because of elbow inflammation. He was sent on a rehab assignment this week, though, and pitched for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. If he’s able to pitch at the level he was early in the season, it’s a game-changing addition for Atlanta.
Strengths: Bullpen, a deep lineup, a real ace. Weaknesses: Inconsistent offense, can the rotation keep producing after Sale?
Chicago Cubs
87-69, currently holding first Wild Card position Offense: 1st; Defense: 1st; wRC+: 115 (1st); xERA: 4.60 (24th)
The Cubs are a strange team. Their offense and defense are both ranked first. Their pitching is not. It’s been a struggle on the mound this year; injuries decimated the staff (most prominently with Cade Horton, who threw only 7 1/3 innings before his elbow blew up, and Ben Brown, who looked like the team’s best pitcher when healthy but who hasn’t pitched since late June) and it’s just been a real struggle.
There is real danger here. Pete Crow-Armstrong is going to win the MVP award, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, he will 100% deserve it; he has a strong case as the league’s best defensive player and he’s leading the league in OPS, runs scored, and homers. He’s almost surely going to have a 40/40 season and he has 10.4 WAR via FanGraphs. It is a historically good season.
That’s far from all in the lineup. Seiya Suzuki is just a good hitter and has been dependable. Ian Happ has struggled a bit but he’s got 24 homers. Michael Busch is dangerous, even if the surface numbers have taken a step back. Michael Conforto has recovered from his nightmare 2025 season and has been a very good role player. Tyrone Taylor has been great since coming over at the trade deadline. Everyone walks—only the Brewers have a higher walk percentage this season than the Cubs.
Then there’s the defense. Whether you are a fan of Defensive Runs Saved or Outs Above Average, the Cubs are far and away the best team in the league.
Now, there are some issues here: Alex Bregman, who has been their second-best offensive player in the second of the season and who is a good defender, suffered facial fractures after being hit by a foul ball on Sunday. For now, we don’t know what his situation is; according to Jeff Passan, he is electing not to undergo surgery at this time, which could mean a return in the postseason is possible. We also don’t know what to expect from Dansby Swanson, who was playing well when he strained an oblique a little over a month ago. He had a good weekend, but we’ll see.
But the biggest problem is pitching. Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, and David Peterson are all players who have thrown at least 75 innings for the Cubs this year, and not one of them has a FIP better than 4.20. Kevin Gausman hasn’t been good since coming over at the deadline. Clay Holmes started well after his trade to the Cubs but his September has been disastrous. The bullpen isn’t in any better shape; they can’t figure out who their closer is (no Cub has more than nine saves this season) and even the players who have pitched better have serious questions. No joke, their best reliever of late has been Aaron Civale (who has allowed only five earned runs in 32 1/3 innings with Chicago this season).
This team could win the World Series. The offense and defense are that good. But if they do, I’m fairly certain they’d be doing it with the worst pitching staff to ever win a title.
Strengths: the MVP, the lineup, the defense. Weakness: Almost everyone who steps on the mound.
Los Angeles Dodgers
96-60, clinched NL West, likely to get first-round bye Offense: 2nd; Defense: 13th; wRC+: 111 (2nd); xERA: 3.62 (2nd)
The Dodgers are now in the “favorites until they’re not” phase of their dynasty, and a glance at any betting market (for whatever that’s worth) will show you that even if the Dodgers don’t have the best record in the league, they’re the clear favorite to win the World Series, at least in a casual sense. I’ve observed this amongst my own friends, who follow the Brewers but aren’t die-hard baseball fans—they all assume the Brewers will just lose to the Dodgers again in the postseason.
Maybe, maybe not. While the Dodgers are undoubtedly still very good, cracks may be beginning to show. Shohei Ohtani, who is banged up and currently on the injured list, has his lowest OPS+ (a still stellar 146, but still) since 2022. While he was outstanding when on the mound this year, he couldn’t stay healthy and it seems certain that he will not pitch in the postseason. He recently turned 32, so this may be the new normal for him. Will Smith has only played 69 games. Freddie Freeman, at 36, is having his worst season since he was 22 in 2012. A good September (he has a 1.215 OPS in 17 games this month) has buoyed Mookie Betts’ numbers, but he was about a league-average hitter for the season’s first five months. He’s also about to turn 34. Teoscar Hernández, at age 33, hasn’t been the same hitter the last two seasons that he was the six or seven before that. Kyle Tucker has been, mostly, a very expensive bust.
And yet, they still have the second-best offense in the league, which is frustrating. Unexpected sources have stepped up: Andy Pages became one of the league’s most well-rounded players and has over 20 homers. Max Muncy, another mid-30s guy, doesn’t seem to have lost anything and is having his best season by WAR since 2021. He’s got 29 homers and 26 doubles. Josue De Paula, the uberprospect who was called up all the way from Double-A to take some at-bats after Ohtani got hurt, is hitting .286/.474/.500 in 38 plate appearances. Like I said, frustrating.
On the whole, though, the offense looks beatable. They’re a little beat up and they’re definitely aging; this season more than any other since he got there, it feels like if you don’t let Ohtani beat you, then you can (carefully) deal with the rest of the lineup.
The pitching staff is impressive, though. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, continues to be one of the most reliable players in the league and should finish in the top five or so in NL Cy Young voting. Blake Snell missed much of the season but has been incredible in eight starts since returning; he has a 1.86 ERA and 1.73 FIP in 38 2/3 innings and looks like one of the two or three best pitchers in baseball right now. Tyler Glasnow looks like the best number four starter in the league. Oh, and they have Tarik Skubal.
The bullpen isn’t exactly a strength but it’s been a lot better than last year, even though the high-priced Edwin Díaz move hasn’t worked out thus far. After a horrible year last year, Tanner Scott has ably stepped into the closer role. Alex Vesia continues to get outs. Jack Dreyer has been solid. Edgardo Henriquez has been excellent, though he’s on the injured list with back trouble at the moment. Plus, guys like Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Rokie Sasaki—who’ve been up and down as starters this year—could fill Chad Patrick-like roles for this bullpen in the postseason.
I understand why they’re the favorite, and it’s definitely possible that everything will come together at the right time again the way it did last year. But this team isn’t invulnerable.
86-70, currently holding third Wild Card position Offense: 27th; Defense: 18th; wRC+: 92 (27th); xERA: 3.64 (3rd)
This Phillies team is a weird inversion of the Phillies teams I feel like I’m used to from the last few years. Aside from a couple of notable exceptions, they can’t really hit. But after years of absolute chaos in their bullpen, they’re rocking one of the league’s best closers, and in the rotation there is some real juice.
Let’s start there, with Cristopher Sánchez. While I still think it’s likely that Misiorowski wins the Cy Young, Sánchez is almost certainly going to prevent him from winning unanimously. He’s made 32 starts and thrown 200 innings, with a 2.93 ERA and 2.81 FIP. The advantage in innings means that he’s comfortably ahead of all other pitchers in Baseball Reference’s version of WAR.
The rest of the rotation is in good shape too, though a shoulder injury for Jesús Luzardo creates some uncertainty. Luzardo has had an excellent season: in 29 starts, he’s actually ahead of Sánchez in both ERA and FIP and is striking out 11.1 batters per nine. He’s one of the league’s best pitchers, but while the team is hopeful he can return from this late-season injury, it’s unclear if he’d be able to start or would need to move to the bullpen.
Zack Wheeler is here, and he’s been typically excellent. It’s been mostly a struggle for Aaron Nola over the past two seasons, but he’s got a 2.92 ERA since the beginning of July (though there’s some noise in those numbers). The bullpen is anchored by Jhoan Duran, who has a 1.76 ERA and 1.45 FIP in 56 1/3 innings, but there are some questions beyond him. Luzardo could play a major role there, if he’s not able to start.
Offensively, though, it’s rough. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are getting older—both are in their age-33 seasons—and have done what they can. Harper leads the NL in walks and is hitting .271/.382/.491 with 28 homers; a good season. Schwarber leads the NL with 45 homers and is having what I’d describe as a fairly typical Schwarber season. But after that, there is nothing. Amongst J.T. Realmuto, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Edmundo Sosa, and Luis Arraez, there are precisely zero players with an OPS+ above 90. That’s really, really rough.
The offensive problems are probably too much for the pitching staff to overcome, especially with Luzardo’s health as a question mark. Harper has a history of elevating his play in the postseason and Schwarber is not a mystery, but there’s just too little.
Strengths: Starting rotation, the closer, Harper and Schwarber. Weaknesses: Bullpen depth, everyone else who hits
San Diego Padres
87-69, currently holding second Wild Card position Offense: 7th; Defense: 4th; wRC+: 102 (11th); xERA: 3.98 (9th)
The Padres are a surprisingly well-balanced team. They might have the best 1-2 punch in the bullpen in all of baseball with Mason Miller and Adrián Morejón, and there are several other solid contributors amongst the relief corps. After a weird, homerless start to the season, Fernando Tatis Jr. has looked much more like the perennial MVP candidate we have come to expect in the second half. Ty France is having maybe the most random great season in the entire league—be honest, did you know that Ty France is hitting .301/.366/.519 with 21 homers and 4.8 WAR this year? They’ve gotten good contributions from a variety of role players, like Luis Campusano and Samad Taylor and even Luis Rengifo, though his season is over after a torn ACL.
It comes down to the starting pitching, though. Michael King has turned into a really solid player, and he holds the top spot in San Diego’s rotation. Walker Buehler has stayed healthy this year (31 starts, his most since 2021), but he’s far from the player he was before his injuries and has been solidly below average. Randy Vásquez has been, in a word, fine. Casey Mize and Robbie Ray were acquired at the deadline to play major roles in the rotation… and they’ve combined for an ERA of 5.93 in 17 starts.
If the Padres can get just enough starting pitching to shorten games to the point that their bullpen can handle things, things could go well for them this postseason. But this is a team that looks like it has one starting pitcher worthy of any level of trust in the postseason right now, and that’s a difficult place to be. While the offense has performed well this year, it doesn’t look to me like a group that came overcome major pitching woes, like the Cubs’ group might be able to do. The Padres, to have success, will need to get something unexpected from a starting pitcher or two, and I’m not sure who that’ll be.
Strengths: The bullpen, Tatis, King. Weaknesses: The rotation beyond King, is this a lineup prone to slumps?
